LONDON — The European Union is pushing on-line platforms like Google and Meta to step up the combat towards false info by including labels to textual content, images and different content material generated by synthetic intelligence, a high official stated Monday.
EU Commission Vice President Vera Jourova stated the power of a brand new era of AI chatbots to create advanced content material and visuals in seconds raises “fresh challenges for the fight against disinformation.”
Jourova stated she requested Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and different tech firms which have signed as much as the 27-nation bloc’s voluntary settlement on combating disinformation to dedicate efforts to tackling the AI downside.
Online platforms which have built-in generative AI into their providers, resembling Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Google’s Bard chatbot, ought to construct safeguards to stop “malicious actors” from producing disinformation, Jourova stated at a briefing in Brussels.
Companies providing providers which have the potential to unfold AI-generated disinformation ought to roll out expertise to “recognize such content and clearly label this to users,” she stated.
Jourova stated EU laws are aimed toward defending free speech, however in relation to AI, “I don’t see any right for the machines to have the freedom of speech.”
The swift rise of generative AI expertise, which has the aptitude to provide human-like textual content, photos and video, has amazed many and alarmed others with its potential to rework many elements of each day life. Europe has taken a lead position within the world motion to control synthetic intelligence with its AI Act, however the laws nonetheless wants ultimate approval and received’t take impact for a number of years.
Officials within the EU, which is bringing in a separate algorithm this yr to safeguard individuals from dangerous on-line content material, are fearful that they should act quicker to maintain up with the fast improvement of generative synthetic intelligence.
The voluntary commitments within the disinformation code will quickly turn into authorized obligations underneath the EU’s Digital Services Act, which can power the most important tech firms by the top of August to raised police their platforms to guard customers from hate speech, disinformation and different dangerous materials.
Jourova stated, nonetheless, that these firms ought to begin labeling AI-generated content material instantly.
Most of these digital giants are already signed as much as the EU code, which requires firms to measure their work on combating disinformation and situation common stories on their progress.
Twitter dropped out final month in what seemed to be the newest transfer by Elon Musk to loosen restrictions on the social media firm after he purchased it final yr.
The exit drew a stern rebuke, with Jourova calling it a mistake.
“Twitter has chosen the hard way. They chose confrontation,” she stated. “Make no mistake, by leaving the code, Twitter has attracted a lot of attention and its actions and compliance with EU law will be scrutinized vigorously and urgently.”
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